Mandame Amor que cante o que a Alma sente,
(F. y S. makes this the first draught of No. 7).
I.
Love bids I sing my Spirit’s sense and sent,
Case heretofore unsung by Poet’s song,
Nor ever happenéd in mortal view.
This wise he partly pays me for my wrong;
For in self-praise he would I represent
How well to lose me in the World I knew,
I am his Partner, none will deem me true:
Yet such my pleasure is to approve and praise me,
And by such praise upraise me,
As captive captured by that lovely Sight,
That all impediment
The glory of my griefs hath shent and rent,
Griefs charged with peregrine and suave delight;
My song, I see full lief,
Shall more of marvel win and less belief.
Of some sweet Hope in happy thought inwove,
That mote for madding Youth win high degree.
The Year returnéd to his infancy
And Earth re-donned her raiment glad and gay,
When Amor deigned display
The loosed tresses of the thriddéd gold
On Summer’s breath to stream;
Those Eyne outscintillating lively beam,
The seed of Roses sown on snowy mould;
The mien so grave, so glad
That bade me jointly hope and bide y-drad.
III.
Some Sweet (I weet not what the Sweet) respiring,
I thrilled with novel admirable fear,
For e’en unfeeling beings felt the spell:
There garrulous Birds, loud praises ever choiring,
With song disordered and in shrillings rare
Were fired with like desires my soul did quell:
Forgot the chrystal Founts to spring and well
Flamed by the vision of that pure fair sight.
With bloom the Greenth was bright
Where past she pressing with those blessed feet.
The Boughs obedient bow’d,
Or jealousing the shrubs whereon she trod,
Or for-that all things bowed her sight to greet;
And Day and Air and Wind
She quicked with spirits of continuous kind.
IV.
And when I saw thro’ her intelligent grew
Things unintelligent, whispered Phantasy
What marvels she might show the intelligent mind.
Fro’ my own law I saw her set me free,
Deprived of every sentiment I knew,
And Life transformed to Life of other kind.
She came with Love’s almighty might to bind
My sense and all its uses to bereave.
I weet not how Love gave,
‘Gainst power of Nature and her use and ure,
E’en to the trees, the mounts,
Roughness of hairy herbs and flushing founts,
That owned the presence of a sight so pure:
Alone remained I shrunk
By power of marvel to a rough rude trunk.
V.
After my spirit lost all sentiment
Of human, one Desire would not depart,
But all my Reason it-ward overbore.
Then One (I know him not) affirmed my heart
That for such lofty thought, so dulce intent
’Twas reason Reason be fro’ me forlore:
Thus as I saw my Reason lost the more,
By that same loss I gained gainfullest gain.
In such sweet peace the twain
Both in one subject dwelt with foe elect.
O Case most strange and new!
For high and great I prove to mental view
The cause, whence cometh so sublime effect,
Which so a heart can season
That reasonless Desire take rank as Reason.
VI.
After I yielded to appetency,
Or into longings of my flesh nigh changéd,
Sylvestran, solitary, unhumáne,
I fared so fain to see myself estrangéd
That seemed me all things, whatso I could see,
Might claim a pardon save my loss and bane.
Draining this honeyed draught of snaring strain
In lieu of senses lost and aye forsped,
I saw Love-sculpturéd
Deep in my soul a noble Shape most fair;
Grave wit withouten guile,
Gentleness, graceful geste and gracious smile;
And, as such gifts could not contain in her,
Goods, in such endless store,
Convert to singing from my lips outpour.
L’ENVOI.
Canzon! if thee they doubt
What of that clearest Geste thou dost design,
For what thou hidest unconn’d;
Our human senses (thus to them respond)
May not in judgment sit on things divine,
Save by a Thought intense
When Faith enforceth frail intelligence.